20, High Street, Paisley

3-storey and attic, 3-bay building with modern ground floor shops. Ashlar. Seated statue in niche in centre bay 1st floor. Niche framed over 2 shallow canted outer bays rising through 1st and by Corinthian pilasters decorated with lozenges and triangles supporting cornice which breaks forward over window and niche. Flanking windows with mullion and transom framed similarly. 2nd floor windows treated as 1st except continous cill course and pedestals under pilasters.

Eaves cornice and die parapet with balusters in front of dormers. Mansard slate roof with 3 steeply pedimented dormers. Stacks with diminutive segmental pediments.

Statue represents Solomon. North side of High Street redeveloped 1880-6. (Historic Scotland)

20 July 2012: External inspection finds the building has fallen out of use. Plants are growing on the cornice and down a leaking downpipe. Four carved sections are netted off. The upper floors (offices) are being advertised for lease through agent R&W Hall. The shop unit is being advertised for lease through agent SGP.

27 March 2014: External inspection finds the retail unit at ground floor level has closed leaving the building entirely disused. Some vegetation has been cleared from the leaking downpipe. A marketing board is affixed advertising the property for let or sale through agent Jones Laing LaSalle.

6 February 2015: The property does not appear to be under marketing at this time. Full Planning Permission and Listed Building Consent for change of use and conversion to form 4 flats were conditionally approved Apr/ May 2014 ref: 14/0137/PP & 14/0138/LB.

11 January 2019: Listed Building Consent for alteration and change of use to form flats is being sought ref: 18/0547/LB.

June 2019: A member of the public notes Listed Building Consent for conversion (previously recorded) has been conditionally approved.

14 December 2020: Local planners advise planning permission (16/0780/PP) and listed building consent (16/0779/LB) granted for formation of two new ground floor shops with new frontages. The development was assisted by funding from Renfrewshire Council’s Retail Improvement Scheme. Both shop units are now occupied. Planning permission (17/0277/PP) and listed building consent (18/0547/LB) also exist for the conversion of upper floors to six flats but this has not yet progressed.

8 September 2023: Local planners advise the property is under development as a learning and cultural hub, along with number 18. The building has been given brand new frontage with big windows and modern, white façade.